Controller for a mobile drive, and method for controlling a mobile drive

Abstract

A controller for a furniture drive includes an operating device which includes a speech controller. The speech controller includes a speech control subunit operatively connected to an adjustment drive, and a microphone interacting with the speech control subunit. The speech controller includes three speech control subunits arranged in the operating unit, with two of the speech control subunits forming actuators of adjustment functions and one of the speech control units forming an actuator of stopping the adjustment drive.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A handheld operating unit for controlling an operating state of a furniture drive by speech input, said handheld operating unit comprising:
 a plurality of speech control subunits arranged in the handheld operating unit, each of the plurality of speech control subunits forming a complete unit including a microphone associated with a speech analysis device and a switching device; 
 wherein each microphone converts an acoustic signal into an electrical signal; 
 each speech analysis device evaluating the electrical signal from its associated microphone, and extracts speech content by comparison to different stored or predefined speech patterns; and 
 each switching device controlling the operating state of the furniture drive when at least one keyword from a set of keywords is recognized by its associated speech analysis device as each electrical signal is evaluated in dependence on the at least one keyword so that each speech control subunit reacts to different spoken words for which each speech control subunit is preset. 
 
     
     
       2. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , wherein one of the speech control subunits forms an EMERGENCY OFF actuator. 
     
     
       3. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , wherein includes two sets of two of said speech control subunits arranged in the handheld operating unit and forming actuators of adjustment functions of two adjustment drives of the furniture drive, and one speech control subunit forming a shared actuator for stopping the adjustment drives. 
     
     
       4. The handheld operating unit of  claim 3 , wherein the one speech control subunit forms an EMERGENCY OFF actuator. 
     
     
       5. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a light, said speech handheld operating unit including a further speech control subunit arranged in the handheld operating unit and coupled to the light. 
     
     
       6. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , further comprising an acoustic indicator arranged in the handheld operating unit, said handheld operating unit including a further speech control subunit arranged in the operating unit and coupled to the acoustic indicator. 
     
     
       7. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld operating unit includes multiple switching outputs, which are switched in dependence on different recognized words or phrases. 
     
     
       8. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a cable connecting the plurality of speech control units with a controller for communication, and/or a wireless transmission link for communication of the plurality of speech control units with the controller. 
     
     
       9. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a further speech control subunit controlling an EMERGENCY OFF operating state of the furniture drive stopping of a movement of the adjustment drive of the furniture drive, wherein the further speech control subunit is external to the handheld operating unit. 
     
     
       10. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a further speech control subunit controlling a STANDBY operating state of the furniture drive and includes a control of a transmitting unit and/or an Interface device by switching on and/or off the STANDBY operating state of the transmitting unit and/or the interface device, wherein the further speech control subunit is external to the handheld operating unit. 
     
     
       11. The handheld operating unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a further speech control subunit controlling a GRID CUTOFF operating state of the furniture drive and includes a switching on and/or off of a grid cut-off circuit, wherein the further speech control subunit is external to the handheld operating unit. 
     
     
       12. A method for controlling an operating state of a furniture drive by a speech input, said method comprising:
 receiving an acoustic signal with a plurality of local speech control subunits arranged in a handheld operating unit, wherein each speech control subunit forms a complete unit including a microphone associated with a speech analysis device and a switching device; 
 with each speech control subunit, converting the acoustic signal into an electrical signal with the microphone; 
 with each speech control subunit, evaluating the electrical signal from its associated microphone by the speech analysis device and extracting speech content by comparison to different stored or predefined speech patterns; and 
 with each speech control subunit, controlling an operating state of the furniture drive with the switching device when at least one keyword from a set of keywords is recognized by its associated speech analysis device as each electrical signal is evaluated in dependence on the at least one keyword so that each speech control subunit reacts to different spoken words for which each is preset. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein a further speech control subunit external to the handheld operating unit controls an EMERGENCY OFF operating state of the furniture drive and includes a stopping of a movement of an adjustment drive of the furniture drive. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising at least briefly reversing the movement of the adjustment drive after stopping. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein a further speech control subunit external to the handheld operating unit controls a STANDBY operating state of the furniture drive and includes a control of a transmitting unit and/or an interface device by switching on and/or off the STANDBY operating state of the transmitting unit and/or the interface device. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein a further speech control subunit external to the handheld operating unit controls a GRID CUTOFF operating state of the furniture drive and includes a switching on and/or off of a grid cut-off circuit. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the set of the keywords is predetermined. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the set of the keywords comprises fewer than 10 keywords. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the set of the keywords comprises fewer than 6 keywords.